Author Archives: Sheila Scherlin

It has been unseasonably warm in New England, this spring, and although it is not officially summer, my 14 yr. old granddaughter and her boyfriend have decided to go swimming in an undisclosed spot. When she first told me, I gingerly asked her to describe where she and her friend went. “It was a pond…orContinue reading “Danger”

Serendipity, the occurance of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. Hmmm, by chance you say? I don’t believe it, nor do I believe in coincidence. Don’t misunderstand. I love it when some positive unexpected occurance or thing shows up, but I don’t believe these things just happen. I believe they are orchestratedContinue reading “Serendipity”

Have you ever wished you could explore some far away place? Visions pop into my mind of Petra, a temple, intricately carved from a canyon or Japan’s snow capped Mt. Fugi with sweet smelling cherry blossoms in the cities below. Or, perhaps, you desire a trip to the moon to see the swirling seas fromContinue reading “Explore”

I had the intention to lose weight….but I didn’t. I had the intention to visit a lonely neighbor…..but I didn’t. I had the intention of spending time with God….but I didn’t. I had the intention of calling a friend…..but I didn’t. Self absorbsion is such a curse. When one reaches out to others a blessingContinue reading “Intention”

The sounds of nature, music, and the voices of loved ones are pleasing to my ears. There are times, though, that I need a quiet place, a place to pray and study God’s word. To begin this intimate time with Jesus, I need to be still, to quiet the thoughts in my head and toContinue reading “Quiet”

Now that I live in Arizona with its tall cactus, paloverde trees, and open sky, I am amazed at the towering trees, dense bushes, and green grass as we enter New England. The terrain, there, is so different from the dusty, warm climate in the southwest. In New England, the summers are warm and humidContinue reading “New England”

I drove away from my parents home with a frozen heart, my mother’s words still ringing in my mind. You are no longer my daughter and you are not welcome, here, any longer. I was shocked, numb. Yet, like flint, my mind was set to leave my husband for another man, who I believed IContinue reading “When Mom Disowned Me”

It was almost noon, on route 303, in Arizona. On both sides of the road, I see ordinary brown desert with the scattered small, wispy, green and yellow shrubs and erect cactus. What breaks this mundane scene is the explosion of giant, puffy white clouds, close to the horizon, making a circular dome around theContinue reading “A Painted Sky”

What does it mean to hope? Is it a wish? A desire? This season is called a season of Hope. Why? People have been putting up their Christmas decorations, sooner than usual. I believe that is because Covid-19 has caused depression and the decorations have added cheer. As lovely as the sparkle of the seasonContinue reading “Hope”

Like many elderly folk, I live in one state, Arizona, for most of the year and in another state, Massachusetts,in the summer. But for me, New England will always be my home. The changing seasons and my family are where my heart is. For several months, in the summer, at a small campground, I amContinue reading “A Place Called Home”